Reeds
by PowdercloudFlakestar
Summary: Powderkit and Flakekit are born into the amazing RiverClan. But as things start to fall apart in their Clan, will the two littermates be able to save their Clan?


The wind blew the reeds all over. Powderkit was tired of being out here while Voletooth and Graymist patched up the real nursery. She and Flakekit were nearly ready to be apprenticed but that didn't mean that they didn't appreciate the warmth and comfort of the nursery. Her thoughts were interrupted by a splash of cool water down her back.

She flipped around, fur bristling, only to see Flakekit rolling around, _mrrow-ing_ with laughter. "Why did you do that, you stupid fur-ball?" She demanded of her brother.

"Because you looked to serious. I wanted to lighten the mood," Flakekit said. "I just didn't expect you to react like that. Another fit of laughter overpowered her littermate.

The top of Powderkit's tail twitched in amusement. "Mousebrain. Only you would do something like that. Well, I'm famished. I'm going to go get some fresh-kill. Want to share a piece with me?" She mewed.

Her brother looked up immediately and said, "Did you even have to ask? You had me at fresh-kill." _Huh, _Powderkit thought, _typical tom-cat. Always hungry._

The two white kits padded out to the center of the camp. The fresh-kill pile was on the other side of the stream. Powderkit went to wade through it like all the warriors, but Flakekit stopped her.

"We've never crossed the stream by ourselves before. Icewing has always carried us across the stream. It may look shallow to the warriors, but they're a lot bigger than us." Flakekit sounded both worried and excited by the challenge of the stream. But Powderkit sensed fear coming from her littermate as well.

"Well, today is the day to prove how brave we are." Powderkit flicked Flakekit's ear with her tail. "If we do this, maybe Leopardstar will make us apprentices sooner. Come on, let's just do this."

Powderkit bounded into the water with no fear. She was confident that she could make it through the stream. But as she got farther into the water, she realized too late that Flakekit was right. Her head went under the powerful current and in her struggle to break above the surface, Powderkit hit her head on a rock. Consciousness slipped away slowly, unlike the quickly moving current.

* ~ *

Powderkit awoke to find Willowshine padding hurriedly around the medicine cat den. Willowshine spun around and looked surprised to see Powderkit awake.

"Morning, mousebrain. What were you thinking, jumping into the stream? You should know better, especially in new-leaf, when it's sure to be deeper and stronger!" Willowshine sounded anxious and scared, but her voice was fringed with amusement.

Powderkit opened her mouth to speak, but then Robinpaw walked in carrying a plump-looking fish. "Here you are, Willowshine. How's Powderkit-" She cut her sentence short when she saw Powderkit's eyes were open. "You're awake! I'll go tell Flakekit. He'll be happy to see that you're not asleep anymore."

Robinpaw left the den, apparently truly glad to see Powderkit awake. Powderkit thought that she would be a good friend in the coming months. Her thoughts were interrupted by Willowshine. "You'll have to excuse Robinpaw. She's always been a bit over-caring. But I guess that never hurt any cay now did it?" She paused and then returned her gaze to Powderkit. "Now. Please explain to me why you went into the stream."

Powderkit took a deep breath and began. "Flakekit and I were hungry so we were going to try and cross the stream to get to the fresh-kill pile. Flakekit tried to stop me but I didn't listen. I just walked into the stream. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry." Powderkit tried to end on a good note. Hopefully it would help to convince Leopardstar that her apprenticeship shouldn't be delayed. It seemed to impress Willowshine, which was a start.

"Well, you are fine as far as your health. But I think some fresh-kill would do you some good, seeing as never actually made it to the fresh-kill pile on your little adventure. Then, you and your brother had better talk to Leopardstar about becoming apprentices." She flicked her tail in dismissal.

As Powderkit was walking through the reeds to get to the main camp, she rammed into another white mass. "Flakekit, would you mind watching where you're setting your paws. She cared deeply for her littermate, but a joke every now and then never hurt and cat.

"I'd watch every cat's paws for the rest of my life if it meant that I never had to see you like that again. I was afraid you were never going to wake up. You just looked so dead. Her brother's eyes were clouded with horror.

Flakekit was the one cat Powderkit was closest to. How would she feel if she had lost him? Now Powderkit understood how Flakekit had felt.

"I'm really sorry Flakekit. I was only thinking about myself, about how brave everyone would think I was. I wasn't thinking about how other cats would feel if I got hurt. I was stupid. Forgive me?" Powderkit had the impression that she was going to be apologizing a lot today.

"Of course I forgive you, Mousebrain. Just promise me that you won't do anything like that again," Flakekit mewed. He seemed to have forgotten his earlier mood of tragedy.

Powderkit rasped her tongue over her brother's ear. "I promise," she said.

Flakekit stood up and gave his ruffled fur a few quick licks. "Well, then, let's go get some fresh-kill and go talk to Leopardstar." He padded away towards the fresh-kill pile, which was thankfully on this side of the stream.

When Powderkit had made it to the fresh-kill pile, Flakekit was deciding between a water-vole and a plump fish. She picked up the fish and mumbled, "Come on," around the prey.

Between the two kits, the fish was finished quickly, but both kits were well-fed. They shared tongues until the sun began to sink towards the horizon,

Flakekit stood and said, "I guess it's time we go and talk to Leopardstar." Powderkit sensed fear coming from her littermate. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who was worried about not becoming an apprentice.

As they approached the reeds that concealed Leopardstar's den, she heard Mistyfoot's and Mothwing's voices coming from behind the screen.

"Leopardstar. You are on your last life. You have to be careful." Mistyfoot, the RiverClan deputy, sounded petrified by the thought of her leader dying. "And with leaf-bare coming, the risks are only going to increase. Mothwing, what do you think about the situation?"

There was a long pause before the RiverClan medicine cat responded. "There are many threats that come with the season of leaf-bare; scarce prey, attacks from other Clans, and not to mention greencough." Mothwing's voice was filled with concern.

Leopardstar broke the tension. "You both are talking as though you already know I'm going to die! There have been no signs form StarClan to say that this leaf-bare will be different than any other, have there Mothwing?" There was a pause when Mothwing must have given a silent response.

Powderkit wondered what Mothwing's answer had been. It must have been no because then Leopardstar continued.

"And Mistyfoot. If the hunting patrols are bringing back more prey than the Clan can eat, why are we worried about a shortage of prey?" Her leader's voice was demanding and proud.

Mistyfoot's only reply was, "I have no clue, Leopardstar." A long silence stretched between the three she-cats.

Powderkit seized her opportunity. "Leopardstar. May Flakekit and I come in?" She tried to make it sound as though she and Flakekit had just arrived.

"Yes, yes, come in," Leopardstar mewed. The white kits pushed through the protecting reeds and entered Leopardstar's den.

This den was only slightly smaller than the nursery. Rocks were set just inside a small circle of reeds. The reeds were intertwined with bracken, except for where Powderkit and Flakekit had come through, the obvious entrance. Leopardstar was sitting in a nest of feathers, crumpled reeds, moss and bracken. Mistyfoot and Mothwing were curled up on either side of the prestigious RiverClan leader.

"I assume that you two are here to discuss whether or not you are to become apprentices before the next Gathering. Am I correct?" Leopardstar asked.

Powderkit nodded but didn't look up. Instead she hung her head in shame. She looked over and saw Flakekit in the same position.

"We will discuss that," Leopardstar meowed, "but first answer me this. How much of our conversation did you overhear?" At the word "our", she gestured with her tail to Mistyfoot and Mothwing.

Powderkit was going to say that she and her littermate had not known the three she-cats were having a conversation, but Flakekit beat her to the punch. "We heard all of it," he said.

"Then you know that I am on my last life?" Powderkit answered Leopardstar's question with a head nod. Leopardstar pondered for a moment before she continued. "Icewing was one of the cats that I became closest to while I was leader. When she had her latest litter, you two, I promised her that I would be the one to give them their warrior names. I will keep that promise."

Powderkit was in awe at the fact that her mother and her leader were close friends. She wondered if that would help her and her littermate in their current situation.

Leopardstar spoke. "Therefore, you will both become apprentices." Powderkit's heart soared. "But, Powderkit, you and you alone, will wait a half-moon."

** Author's Note:**

**As you can see, the title is Reeds because in the story everything in the RiverClan camp is surrounded by reeds. Hope you like it. This is my first fan-fic ever so please review, good or bad.**


End file.
